Cleared on appeal of dealing in ecstasy

A San Gwann woman jailed for two months and fined Lm200 for trafficking in ecstasy has been acquitted on appeal but the punishment retained as a punishment for another trafficking conviction.

Annette Bone had originally been found guilty of the possession and trafficking of ecstasy pills and the trafficking of cannabis on and before April 11, 1998.

But she was yesterday acquitted of dealing in ecstasy pills.

Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano noted that although Bone, 22, had ordered the ecstasy, the supplier had not actually delivered the drugs, since the police intervened before that person could.

Moreover, the police had charged Bone with dealing in ecstasy and not with encouraging others to deal in the drug.

Since the charge had not been proven, the judge ruled that the first court should not have found Bone guilty of dealing in ecstasy.

However, the judge ruled that there was no reason to alter the original punishment since the first court had gone below the minimum punishment prescribed by law.